Ferment and process of producing the same.



IO I ,ered ferment which we have lsolated and. termed Saccharomyces 'thermantitonumfl FERNIENT" AND PROCES oF- noou'cme THE SAM 1 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented sept. 11, 1906.

Application filed llfaroh 1o, 19o4. serial in. 197,454.

To all whom i3 may concern.-

of Great Britain, residing at 8 Hawesroad,

Bromley, in the county of Kent, England, I

have invented certain new and useful Imrovements in Ferments and the Processes of roducin the Same, of which the following is a speci 'cation.

This invention relatesto the newly-discow (the heat-resister.)

' The'ferment hereinb'efore referred to and which constitutes the essential feature of our invention was-discovered while experiment- *ing with a view tofascertaining the fermenting properties -of Eucal ferment being obtaine I leaves of the Eucalyptusplant in asaccharine solution.

.tation was taking place. Microscopical examination of themixture and the subjectin ed to promote alcoholic fermentation The ferment may be produced in the fol,

lowing-manner: A solution, at .a temperature. of Fahrenheit, of previously-boiled inverted sugar or malt wortshould be taken in a clean bottle partiallyfilled with Eucalyptus leaves. The bottle should thereupon e closed, and in a few days time a deposit con-- sistingof cells of Saccharomyces t ermanti-' tonum will be found at the bottom of the bottle. These cells should be collectedand rop agated, the process being repeated untl sufficient cells have been obtained. If uponmicroscopical examination the said cells are found to be intermixed with cells other than" Saccharomyces thermantitonum, they may be purified by any of the ordinary methods commonly adopted by bacteriologists.

We are aware that it is a well-known proceeding to immerse the romoter of the organism desired in a .sacc arine solution and a to allow the cells to deposit for the ose of separating them from the fermented liquids.

There is, however, no'known alocholic fer ment which will live after being submitted to a temperature above Fahrenheit. "That this is the accepted fact may be proved by reference to any of the best known authorit es on the subject,.viz: Dr.- Henri Vari Laer',

tus leaves, the'sai d' by immersing the,

Observations taken while thus under treatment disclosed the fact that fermenof Brussels; Dr. Harold Johnson, of Brussels; ,Be it known that we, Gnovn JOHNSON and PERCY'RIQHARD HARE, subjects of the King.-

. F the present invention will submit to a tem erature of at least Fahrenheit andstill ive:

I The characteristic features whereby the said I ferment may be recognized areas follows:

'The cells; if magnified by a one-fifteenth obective, appear somewhat smaller than Saccharom'yces cerem'siw and oval rather than round. The cells are rarely in a state of dissociation, but are usually observable in commeans of a membranous substance, and this be, the more apparent if a few cells (or a few; granules consisting of an agglomeration of cells) be exposed for some hours in a quantity of water maintained, for exam le, at a temperature of 120 Fahrenheit.. he compact granules spread out into skinny flocculen'tparticles somewhat resembling cobweb, in'which the .cells are seen to be enmeshed. .This membranous substance or is, moreover, observable by the naked eyeas fon example, when a bottle charged with fermented Wort containing the said ferment-was allowed to stand with a view to the mature cells settling or becoming deposited observation disclosed the aforesaid membranous substance in. which theembryotic or immature cells were seenin a state of suspension. These floating articles were found arranged at different a titudes, according as the cells became develo ed, the'tendency-of the mature cells being a ways to subside. ment sustains a temperature of 170 Fahrenheit without destruction -.but it is undesirable to maintain this temperature for too long a period. The character of the ferment in resisting destruction-at this temperature facilitates the cleansing of impure cultures by rerepeated washings with hot. water, disease ferments, for the greater part, dying at 131 Fahrenheit. The result of thesaid re eated washings (the ferment having been a lowed to settle into a compactness, which occurs in about fifteen minutes after bein briskly agi- .pact .masses hanging together closely by.

web containing cells in their embryonic state The said fertated in a clear water) is agrayis gelatinous,

though granulated, substance, somewhat similar in composition and consistency to the soft roe of a herringf It has been found that any-sized bottle of nutritive solution filled with leaves of the Eucalyptus lightly placed therein. will have sufficient cells of Saccharomyces thermantitomtm propagated within a fortnight to be visible to the naked eye.

action of the ferment in saccharine solutions below 55 Fahrenheit is accelerated.

During fermentation the ferment rises H1 flocculent masses fromthe bottom of the vessel-(it is a bottom ferment) apparently with the assistance of .the, carbon dioxid generated. As the gas is liberated upon the surface of the liquid the ferment descends again,

, the alternating movement continuing. until fermentation ceases. The ferment while erforming its function rarely renders the ermenting li uid turbid,as usually happens in the case of or inaryyeasts. On the contrary,

it has somewhat'the ap earance of finings suspended in a-more or ess clear supernatant liquor; a

At the close of fermentation the ferment falls to' the bottom of the liquid and-in a short space of time settles in a firm andcompact mass resembling in consistency yeast from a brewers yeast ressh This mass will also appear to somew at resemble common yeasts in res ect of color; but after repeated washings in ot water it will regain the before-mentioned characteristic gray color.

Pasteur has shown that a maintained temerature of 140 Fahrenheit is sufficient to ill alcoholic ferments; but our said ferment after being submitted in a saccharine solution to a temperature of 142 Fahrenheit for six hours. commenced to perform its functions after a period of repose of eight hours in the same solution reduced to a temperature of 105 Fahrenheit. After several hours heating at 140 the ferment loses its gelatinous appearance and takes the form of a coarse gray powder, which may lie dormant for two or more days. Upon" the resuscitation of the ferment-it again gradually assumes its flocculent condition and ultimately reverts to all its-normal. characteristics. power of the said ferment in inverting canesugar is very marked, .as may be readily demonstrated, for example, by digesting a solution of pure crystallized cane-sugar with some of the ferment in a water-bath maintained at 140 Fahrenheit. In about an The hours time distinct inversion will have commenced, which may be roved by resorting to the test of Fehlings so ution.

We may here mention that no deterioration of the ferment has been observed in fermenting ure solutions of uninverted cane sugar. or example, a liter of a solution of pure crystallized cane-sugar of a specific gravity of 1.050, containing twenty-five rams of the said ferment, and a liter of a soution of levulose of a like gravity, containing a like amount of ferment, were set to work in'a water-bath maintained at Fahrenheit. Exce t for the fact that the cane-sugar occupie three hours longer than thelevulose to aocom )lish complete feri'nentationviz. ,fourteen ours instead of eleven hours, as in the case of the inverted sugar there was no apparent difference to be observed. Each solution yielded approximately forty gra ns of ferment, and microsco ical examination revealed no collapse of t e cells from the cane-sugar solution. The fermented product should be withdrawn from the resence of the ferment and conveyed to c osed vessels as soon as convenient tion in which/fit is deslred to propagate the cells .shouldiprovide all necessary nourishment for Saccharom'yces thermantitonum.

. This differs in no way from solutions suitable for other Saccharomyces.

For feeding the propagated cells raw-sugar solution ma be employed occasionally, though it is inadvisable to do this, as Saccharomyces thermant'itonum, in common with ordinary yeast, yields up its enzyme for the urpose of the conversion of its non-assimiable food and eventually ceases to work and finallv dies of inaniti on.

It has been found in practice that for the fermentation of beers, as well as for the prop, agation of the culture, temperatures of the worts should be maintained at 90 to Fahrenheit.

All specific gravities are suitable. Obviously, however, ifitbe desired to propagate as many cells 'as possible without continually supplying new nutritive solution the higher the gravity so much longer will there be nutritive matter upon which the cells may live and increase.

, Having explained the characteristic differences between the ferment and the Saccharom'yces hitherto known and employed, it may Ibo obviously, by the conditions under which contingent risk of putrefaction or adulteration during exposure: These objections are 7 obviated by carefully observingthe following rules in connection with the'use of the herein; beforedescribed ferment. The wort is to be conveyed without loss of time from the ho back, as hotand bright as possible, to t e fermenting vessel. Preferably this should be done without the intermediateuse of-settling-tanks and the like, providing always that the wort runs bright, the great object being to avoid exposure and loss of temperature, thus jeopardizin sterility. The fermentation is conducte in covered vessels, preferably constructed of metal, provided with manholes, such cocks as may readily suggest themselves, pressure-valves for per- Initting the escape of excess of carbon dioxid and attem erators or some suitable construction 0 jacket to control the temperature. The wort should be introduced into the fermenting'vessel as hot as possiblesay,

' ect the wort at such temperature.

for example, at 180 Fahrenheit.

renheit) here referred to desirable with a view to effecting perfect sterilization, it .will

robably be-unnecessary in practice to col- Having introduced the wort, the manhole should immediately be closed. The temperature should then be allowed to fall, either spontaneously or, if time be an object, with the assistance of theattemperator or jacket, to 120 Fahrenheit, the ferment being then introduced through the manhole and well roused in, after which the manholeshould be closed. Fermentation will commence immediately and proceed with increased vigor as the'temperature falls to 105 Fahrenheit. Should there be a tendency for the temperature to fall below 95 Fahrenheit before fermentation is complete, (although this is unlikely to happen withlarge volumes of liquid) hot water or steam should be passed into the jacket or attemperators for the purposeof maintaining the requisite temperature. The

precise quantity of ferment necessaryfor acfalling from- 120 Fahrenheit to 90 ahrenheit is ascertainable onlyby experience. Anyexcess, by weight, of the ferment as com 'ared with'ordinary yeast will not, however, e inurious, as, according. to our experience, no.

avor resembling yeast bite is imparted under-normal conditions. In aspecific case we have found that half a pound of Sascharomyces- 'thermantz'tonum added to every thirty-sixgallons of malt wort produces a Althou h we have found the temperature (180 Fa rapid and healthy fermentation; but, incommon with all yeasts, the quantity may be re-' duced'for example, to six ounces per thirtysix gallons-if the total-bulk of beer to be fermented is great. To make our meaning more clear, an amount of six ounces per thirty-six gallons would be sufficient in a total bulk of, say, fifty barrels, while eight ounces per thirty-six gallons would be advisable in a total bulk of, say, ten barrels. .In I

short, the greater the volume to be fermented the lessproportionately (of yeast) will be required to ferment it. One'of the chief reasons for the above fact in relation to Saccha.

ature was still high-110 Fahrenheit, for example-more yeast added to the wort. would effect this, (ra id fermentation,) and, again, obviously eight ounces of Sacchcromyces themant'itonum to thirty-six gallons of wort would do more work than'six ounces before the temperature of the wort had a chance of fallin In short, the chief object to be aime at is as follows: Thegreater art of the fermentation should be accomplis ed before the total bulk of wort collected at 110 Fahrenheit has a chance of falling below Fahrenheit, and if six or eight ounces of Sacchdromyces thermxmtitonum per thirtysix allons is unable to do this, even ten or twe ve ounces should be employed; but this of necessity varies accordin to the tem erature ofthe atmosphere an the materia or thickness of the fermenting vessel, or whether it is ex osed to easily-altered conditions, drafts, t 'n walls, or metal roofing, and so forth.

As for the steps of the process, they do not varyat all from ordinary brewing practice excppt that the wort should not be allowed to coo If it be desired to obtain perfect fermentation with the improved ferment, while avoiding allchances of contamination in a sterile wort, the wort mustbe collected in the fermenting vessel at a temperature not less than 175 Fahrenheit, the ferment being immediately inserted-and the manhole pertainin to the vessel closed. Care must then be thermcmti- ICC to high temperatures causes the ferment to become dormant, varying in extent according to the period itis so. ex osed.

As hereinbefore descri ed, the ferment will work well under pressure of its own gas (00,) generated=during fermentation. This fact may betaken advantage of for racking and bottling under pressure. If it be desired to hasten clarification with a view to enabling bright and well-aerated beer to be drawn off within a few days of brewing, finings may be forced at. asuitable period,by means of a pump, into the fermenting vessel, the-latter; being constructed as hereinbefore described.- Infthis process the employment of. the said construction of fermenting vessels would be necessary, al-

thoughfor ordinary purposes such-vessels are not indis ensable to the successful employment of t eferment.

As a result of the. employment of the hereinbefore-descz'ibed fermentthe action of yeast-pressing and the-employment of the product with its. crude-taste rendered un necessary,. the ferment settling spontane: ously in a compact mass.upon.the completion of.- each fermentation. Moreover, the process-of. brewing intropical countries or during periods of high temperature is rendered capable of-accom lishment without being subjected to the d' culties and considerable ex .ense incidental to the employment of ice p ants rendered necessary by the use of common yeast. It may with appropriateness be remarked that the ferment appears to be the organism provided by nature to overcome all the difiiculties due to atmospheric temperaturesof Fahrenheit and upward.

Non-alcoholic beer can be erfectly produced by the employment of the ferment by observing the following rules: first, worts must be. prepared with a View to obtaining the highest ossible percentage of non-reducing carbohydrates. As" stated above respectin'g favorable temperature for fermentation, it is merely necessary toreduce the temperature ofthe fermenting wort to suspend fermentation, the ferment precipitating to the bottom of the vessel, thus allowing the clearbeer to be drawn ofi. This fermented product is then boiled to either eliminatealcohol or to reduce it to the percentage al-.

itbeing simply necessary after. obtaining the syrup to again dilute and aerate it, whereupon the condition it assumed before evaporation will be reverted to. It may here be remarked that the production of non-alco- Concentrated.

holic and concentrated non-alcoholic beer in the manner and of the character above referred' to would be' impossible if ordinary v mass at the bottomof the fermenting 'vessel- 2 may be employed for succeeding operations, thereby dispensing with the present. necessity of providing new yeast incidental to the destruction of the greater part of thefe'rment in the still.

Fruit juices and other-saccharine solutions may with advantage be fermented with the aid of the hereinbefore-described ferment;

but it will be obvious.- that, before fermenta tion by the said ferment alone can be assured, solutions which bear naturalfermentsmust be raised in temperature in order to annihilate these organisms.

The alcoholic fermented liquorsherein described, together with the process of fermenting liquors, are not claimedfherein, but. form the subject matter of an ap lication filed by us on September 13, 1904, S 224,328.

Having thus described our vention, what we claim, and desire to secure yLetters Patent, is

Iro

erial No.

1. An alcoholic ferment formed from, E11- I calyptus leaves and a saccharine solution and:

capable of resisting destruction at a temperature greater than 165Fahrenheit 2. An alcoholic ferment formed from Eu calyptus leaves and a .previouslyboiled in ver ted sugar. or malt wort and capable of re sisting a temperature. of 165 Fahrenheit? 7 3. An alcoholic ferment formedfromiEucalyptus leaves-and a saccharine solutionand capable of resisting destruction ata temperature greater than 165 Fahrenheitland. of separating in a hardand compact mass at theend of. fermentationv 4. .A ferment formed from- -'Eucalyptus alcohol- 5. A ferment .formedfrom.. Eucalyptus of invertingncane-sugar.

leaves and asacchai'ine solutionand .capab'le ing a temperature above 165 Fahrenheit and settling at the close of the ferment 1n a firm andcompact mass.

leaves and, a saccharine solation .and. yielding 6.. An alc'oholic ferment capable of resist- 7. A ferment yielding alcohol, formed by Eucalyptus leaves and a saccharine solution and capable'of inverting cane-su ar.

8. The process of forming an a coholic ferment which consists in immersing Eucalyptus leaves in a saccharine solution at a temperature of 160' Fahrenheit. v

9. The process of forming an alcoholic ferment which consists in immersing Eucalyptus leaves in a saccharine solution in a closed sterile vessel at a temperature of 160 Fahrenheit.

10. The process of forming an alcoholic ferment from Eucalyptus leaves and a pre-v viously-boiled inverted sugar ormalt wort which consists in submitting them to a temperature of 175 Fahrenheit and allowing them to cool to a temperature of 110 Fahrenheit.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto set our hands, in presence of twosubscribing Witnesses, this th day of February, 1904.

GROVE JOHNSON PERCY RICHARD HARE.

Witnesses:

T. SELLY WARDLE, WALTER J. SKERTEN. 

